


Sunlight After Tears

by minamiskotori



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Because I like to make my girls suffer, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Sorry Not Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-04-26 08:19:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14398065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minamiskotori/pseuds/minamiskotori
Summary: Kokoro knows that being able to smile is the best feeling. But when happiness isn't enough to help a friend, what will she and the rest of Hello Happy World do?





	1. A Special Announcement!

“Everyone, I have some good news for you!” Kokoro exclaimed, her cheerful voice filling the drawing room. 

 

“What is it, little kitten? Please, don’t leave me hanging…” Kaoru said.

 

“Yeah, yeah! What is it, Kokoron? What is it?” Hagumi asked.

 

“Good news? I wonder what it might be…” Kanon murmured.

 

All Michelle could think at the moment was,  _ “I have a bad feeling about this…” _

 

“Hello Happy World-” Kokoro announced, before pausing to rummage around in her pockets for something. She then pulled a crumpled ball of paper out of one of her pockets. After unraveling it, she held it up- it was a poster! “-has been chosen to perform at the Sunny Day Festival in Akihabara!”

 

“Woah! The Sunny Day Festival? Isn’t that a concert for indie girl bands and school idols?” Hagumi clapped her hands together in delight. “That sounds amazing, Kokoron!”

 

“The Sunny Day Festival? ...ehehe, it sounds lovely.” Kanon remarked.

 

“You’ve actually found us an event to play at?” Michelle gasped. To think that Kokoro was able to find them a gig this time...Kokoro was really something else. Kokoro nodded confidently at Michelle. “Well, you’re certainly more capable than I thought,”

 

Kokoro laughed, “Thanks, Michelle!”

 

“We need to tell Misaki about this fleeting event! Michelle, if you see her, do you mind telling her for me?”

 

“Ah...sure, Kaoru-san,” Michelle answered.  _ “I am Misaki, though…” _

 

* * *

  
“Where’s Kokoro? We’ve been at the studio for 15 minutes already...we can’t start practice without her,” Kanon stared up at the clock while biting her fingernails.

 

“Do not fret, dear kitten,” Kaoru placed her hand on Kanon’s trembling shoulder, “I’m sure Kokoro is busy with something at the moment,” Suddenly, the door slammed open, and Kokoro ran inside. 

 

“And there she is now.”

 

“Hello, everybody!” With a paper clutched in her right hand, Kokoro skipped over to Misaki, and handed the paper to her.

 

“Huh? Why are you giving this to me?” Misaki asked. She unfolded the paper, and it had a list of songs on it.

 

“It’s our song list, Misaki-chan! I put down every song I wanna play at the Sunny Day Festival!”

 

“Happy Summer Wedding...Egao no Orchestra…” Misaki read through the list, before looking at Kokoro bewildered. “Kokoro, this list has every song and cover we ever played! The festival’s rules say we can only play 3 songs at most!”

 

“But Misaki…” Kokoro pouted, “I just can’t choose 3! I love every song we’ve played!”

 

“Fine, then I’ll limit it down to three for you.”

 

“Misaki-chan, if I must make a request, can you please keep ‘Romeo’? It’s certainly a fleeting song that I hold dear to my heart…” Kaoru remarked.

 

“Yeah yeah! And don’t forget about Egao no Orchestra!” Hagumi yelled.

 

“I know, Hagumi! I’m keeping that one, geez!” Misaki yelled.

 

“And I hate to be annoying, but you’ll keep the Wacha-Mocha Marching Song, right?” Kanon spoke up.

 

“Of course I will, Kanon. If you insist.” Misaki pushed aside her mild frustration and gave Kanon a smile.

 

“Ehehehe, thank you, Misaki. I’m just so excited that we’re playing at a real music festival...I’m nervous, but it’s a little exciting.”

 

“Yeah, yeah!” Hagumi exclaimed. “First we perform at the school festival, and now this? Pretty soon, Hello Happy World will make everyone in the world smile! Yay!”

 

“Yeah! Hello Happy World’s going to make everyone happy!” Kokoro cheered, jumping up and down.

 

“Ah, my heart can’t wait to sing out for thousands of little kittens that will be in the audience…” Kaoru sighed, “To quote the great bard, ‘If music be the food of love, play on.’”

 

“Gee, everyone’s sure excited for the festival...” Misaki remarked.

 

“Yeah, it definitely seems so…” Kanon murmured. Suddenly, she heard her phone start to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket, and ran out of the practice room.

 

“Huh? Where’s Kano-chan-senpai going?” Hagumi asked.

 

“She’s probably answering a phone call right now. We should just leave her be for now.”

 

“In any case, we should start practicing!” Kokoro remarked.

 

“Practicing? Practicing without Kanon?” Misaki asked.

 

“Well, I’m sure her phone call won’t take long! In any case, let’s spend the 35 minutes we have left practicing out new songs!”

 

“Well, in any case, I’ll just keep waiting for her.” Misaki walked over to the doorway and stood there to wait for Kanon to return.

 

10 minutes had passed, and Kanon wasn’t back in the practice room yet. _ “Something seems fishy,” _ Misaki thought, tapping her heel against the wall. The right thing to do at the moment was to check on Kanon to see if she was okay, and that’s what Misaki did. 

 

After leaving the practice room, the first thing Misaki noticed was that Kanon was sitting at a table, crying. Misaki’s heart sank seeing Kanon so sad, and had a bad feeling that something was wrong. Misaki walked over to the table and sat down next to Kanon.

 

“Kanon, are you okay?” Misaki asked, rubbing Kanon’s back. “You seem to be upset, and I want to know why.”

 

Kanon looked up at Misaki, her eyes red from all of her crying. “I...I…”

 

“What is it, Kanon? It’s okay, you can tell me anything.”

 

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to perform with Hello Happy World anymore soon…”

 

“Huh? Why?”

 

“Because...because...I might be moving,” Kanon sobbed.

 


	2. Festival Disaster

The fact that Kanon was moving certainly surprised Misaki. Still, it was probably something like moving to the other end of the neighborhood, or something similar to that. Misaki didn’t want to jump to conclusions, as Kokoro would if Kanon were talking to her instead.

 

“You’re moving? Where are you going to move, Kanon?” Misaki asked.

 

Kanon hung her head in shame. “My mom said...we might be moving out of the district.” She whispered.

 

“Out of the district?” Misaki did a double take.

 

“Well, it depends if Dad manages to find a new job there or not. If he doesn’t, then I’ll just be staying for a week. If he does, though-” Kanon started crying again before she even finished her sentence.

 

“Oh, Kanon…” Misaki started patting Kanon’s back again. “It’ll be okay. You can always call us, and it’s not like our friendship will end when you move.”

 

“Still...I don’t know what to do!” Kanon cried.

 

“Shh. It’s okay, Kanon. I’ll help you through it.” 

 

“Kanon? Misaki?” Came Kokoro’s voice. Misaki looked over at the door, and Kokoro was peaking at Misaki and Kanon through the opened doorway. “Come inside! We need you for our next song!”

 

Misaki sighed, before looking at Kanon. “Do you think you’re ready to start practicing with us?” She asked.

 

Kanon gave her a nod, “Yeah, I...think so,” Kanon didn’t seem to be smiling when she went back into the practice room with Kokoro, though. 

 

_ “I just hope Kanon will be okay, _ ” Misaki thought, as she entered the practice room with Kokoro and Kanon.

 

* * *

 

The next few weeks of practice continued like normal- Kokoro kept doing random backflips in the middle of songs,  Kaoru’s guitar playing was bold and solid, and Hagumi kept the rhythm going with her bass , but Misaki couldn’t help but notice Kanon seemed...trailing behind. At some points, it seemed her rhythm didn’t match up to the beat of the other’s instruments. Kokoro didn’t seem to notice or care, but Misaki was concerned.

 

One day after practice, Misaki met up with Kanon at the cafeteria, holding a bottle of water in her hand.

 

“Here you go, Kanon,” Misaki said, handing the bottle to Kanon. “Just wanted to know if you’re okay. Your rhythm seems...off,”

 

“Ah! Really?” Kanon asked, tears welling up in her eyes. 

 

Misaki felt guilty seeing Kanon about to cry. “Well...yeah. I want to make sure you play well when the day of our concert comes, but remember not to push yourself.”

 

“I’m sorry, Misaki…” Kanon sniffed, taking a gulp of water. “I’ll try to play harder! I’m sorry for not doing well!”

 

“Kanon, it’s not your fault at all.” Misaki took a seat next to Kanon. “Moving is a really tough thing to go through right now. But remember that it will all work out in the end. Okay?”

 

Kanon nodded. Misaki pulled a napkin out of the dispenser on the table, and used it to wipe away Kanon’s tears.

 

“Atta girl. Now, how about we split a cheesecake?”

 

“That sounds wonderful, Misaki-chan! You’re so kind,” Kanon smiled.

 

* * *

 

“Everyone! Today’s the day before the big concert! That’s why I invited all of you here!” Kokoro shouted, gesturing towards the gates of her mansion.

 

“Oh, so that’s why we were invited to Kokoron’s house!” Hagumi said, “When I got a text from her, she didn’t tell me what it was for!”

 

_ “That’s Kokoro to you…”  _ Misaki thought.

 

“Anyway! I want to thank everyone to practicing so hard the last few weeks!” Kokoro grinned.

 

“Thank you for the compliment, princess. I’d do anything to see you smile,” Kaoru remarked.

 

“Me...working hard? I-I don’t think I did that well…” Kanon murmured.

 

“Nonsense!” Kokoro exclaimed. “You did amazingly! Now let’s hurry inside and start our sleepover!” Kokoro grabbed Kanon’s hand, and ran through the mansion gates with Kanon dragging behind. Kaoru and Hagumi soon followed, and Misaki was the last one to enter the mansion.

 

* * *

 

The sleepover was as loud, restless, and chaotic as you’d expect from one hosted by Kokoro. By the time the clock struck 2:00 AM, though, all the members of Hello Happy World were sound asleep; Well, everybody except for Kanon. Every time she tried to fall asleep, she’d wake up crying a minute later. 

 

Misaki was trying her hardest to sleep, until she heard the sound of Kanon sobbing. She sat up and scooted closer to the crying girl.

 

“Kanon,” Misaki said. Kanon stopped sobbing and looked back at Misaki.

 

“Oh, Misaki…” Kanon whispered. “I had a nightmare about the concert...I fainted, and everyone booed us off the stage…” Kanon started crying again. “It was awful, Misaki! I’m so scared!” 

 

Suddenly, Kanon felt Misaki’s arms wrap around in a warm embrace.

 

“Shh, it’ll be okay, Kanon.” Misaki whispered. “Everything will be okay. Just try to sleep.”

 

“Oh...okay…Misaki...” Kanon closed her eyes, and the two girls fell asleep together.

 

* * *

 

Finally, the day of the Sunny Day Festival had arrived. As soon as the members of Hello, Happy World left Kokoro’s limousine, they were immediately swept up in a sea of people. Misaki struggled her way through the crowd to catch up with Kokoro and the others, in spite of how overwhelmed she was at the amount of people in attendance. She knew that one thing was for sure, and that was that the Sunny Day Fes was a bigger event than Misaki had ever hoped. 

 

While pushing her way through the crowd, Misaki noticed a familiar blue-haired girl surrounded by noisy people, and sure enough, that girl was Kanon. Misaki pushed two people out of the way to reach Kanon, who was shaking and sweating with panic.

 

“Hey, Kanon! I’m right here!” Misaki exclaimed, holding onto Kanon’s hand. Kanon looked over at Misaki, and hugged her as thanks for saving her.

 

“Hey, just take my hand for now, okay? Let’s hurry off to the dressing room so we can meet up with Kokoro and the others.” Kanon let go of Misaki, and instead took her hand as the two girls hurried through the crowd to the dressing room.

 

Soon enough, the girls entered the dressing room to prepare for their performance, and Misaki was dragged off by the suits to get into her Michelle costume.

 

“Here are our costumes, everyone!” Kokoro said, pulling out a dresser rack with everyone’s costumes hanging from them. “The Sunny Day Festival said that all the performers had to wear matching costumes! Thanks to the people in black suits, our costumes got done in no time!”

 

“Yay! They’re so cute, Kokoron!” Hagumi exclaimed. Her joy was short lived, though, as she suddenly had a frown on her face. “But wait, where’s Michelle? We can’t start the performance without her!”

 

“Everyone, I’m here~” A voice suddenly rang out. The members of Hello Happy World turned around, and saw a pink bear mascot standing in front of them. It was Michelle!

 

“Michelle, you’re here!” Hagumi yelled, as she ran up to Michelle and tackle-hugged her.

 

“Great! Now, once we’ve gotten into our costumes, we can put smiles on the audiences faces!” Kokoro exclaimed. “Happy! Lucky! Smile! Yay!”

 

“Happy! Lucky! Smile! Yay!” The other HHW members responded.

 

“Happy...Lucky...Smile...Yay…” Kanon muttered through deep breaths.  She was sitting at a table away from the other members, constantly telling herself to stay calm and keep breathing. 

 

_ “It’ll be okay, Kanon...don’t let it bother you,” _

 

* * *

 

“Everyone! Are you happy? We’re Hello, Happy World! And we’re here to make everyone smile!” Kokoro yelled from atop the stage. The sea of people in the Akihabara streets cheered and yelled in response.  Kanon covered her ears to mute out the crowd’s ear-piercing noises.

 

_ “Don’t worry, Kanon. You just need to be brave...Happiness! Happy Magical…”  _

 

“I’m so glad you’re all smiling! With our first song, ‘Egao no Orchestra!’, I’m sure we’ll all make you smile even more!”

 

Suddenly, the music started playing, which caused Kanon’s heart to jump for a split second. She took a deep breath as her drumsticks played along with the music. In the middle of the chorus, however, she started hearing her mother’s voice again.

 

_ “I’m sorry, Kanon, but I’m afraid we might be moving to Osaka…” _

 

“No...no…” Kanon murmured, her eyes starting to water. 

 

The heat certainly wasn’t helping matters. Her clothes felt all wet from the sweat, and they were sticking to her clothes...and the crowds’ loud cheering wasn’t making it any easier to focus, either. Suddenly, Kanon started getting all light headed, and she felt like she couldn’t control her body’s balance anymore. She rocked from side to side, until…

 

“Kano-chan-senpai?” Hagumi stopped playing her bass, and looked over at Kanon’s collapsed body. Hagumi then let out a loud gasp. “Kano-chan-senpai! EVERYONE, KANO-CHAN-SENPAI’S FAINTED!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Surprise angst! Poor Kanon...
> 
> Will she be alright? We can only wait and see...


	3. The Day the World Didn't Smile

The other members of Hello Happy World stopped playing their instruments when they heard Hagumi shout. They looked over at where Kanon had collapsed, and they all gasped in horror. Misaki herself took off her Michelle head to be able to see Kanon more clearly.

 

“Kanon! Oh god, Kanon…” Misaki cried, hurrying over to her as fast as she could wearing Michelle’s body. After looking at Kanon for a couple seconds, she looked up at Kaoru, who was shaking with panic.

 

“Kaoru! Do you have a cellphone?”

 

“Uh...uh, yes, I...do…” Kaoru stuttered.

 

“THEN CALL AN AMBULANCE! THIS IS SERIOUS!”

 

As Kaoru got her phone out to call the ambulance, Misaki sent Hagumi off to grab a wet washcloth to cover Kanon’s face. Misaki then looked over at Kokoro, who was frozen in place and staring at Kanon’s body. Despite the quivering smile on her face and her quiet chants of “Happiness! Happy Magical!”, tears seemed to be streaming down her face.

 

“Kokoro, are you okay?” Misaki asked.

 

“Huh?” Kokoro looked at Misaki, wiping away her tears, “Ah, I’m fine! Once the doctors are here, I'm sure that Kanon-san will be okay!” Kokoro let out an awkward laugh, but Misaki only groaned and looked back at Kanon.

 

“Don’t worry, Kanon-chan, the doctors will be here soon…” Misaki whispered. In the distance, she heard the sounds of wailing sirens. “I hope you’ll be okay. Please, be okay…” Eventually, Misaki started to cry, just like Kokoro had been doing. “Please, Kanon, don’t leave me!”

 

* * *

 

“I seriously hope Kano-chan-senpai will be alright…” Hagumi sighed.

 

“Don’t worry, Hagumi! The nurse said she’d be fine!” Kokoro cheered.

 

“Shh!” Misaki whispered, putting her hand over Kokoro’s mouth. “This is a hospital! You have to be quiet here! Besides, the nurse hasn’t even arrived yet!”

 

“Oh, my sweet little kitten…” Kaoru lamented, “I have failed my duty as a prince to protect you! Such shame for me…”

 

“Kaoru, relax. Hopefully, Kanon will be in good hands.” Misaki told Kaoru.

 

“As the great bard pondered…’To be or not to be? That is the question…’”

 

Just then, the nurse arrived to the lobby. “Hello there. I assume you must be Kanon’s friends,” She said.

 

“Uh-huh!” Kokoro nodded, “We’re the band Hello, Happy World! Kanon’s the drummer!”

 

“Oh, Hello Happy World? I saw you girls playing live last night. That was, before she fainted…”

 

The members of Hello Happy World gasped in shock. “

 

“The Sunny Day Festival...was recorded live?” Hagumi stuttered.

 

“To think that everyone got to see such a tragic event...truly fleeting…” Kaoru murmured.

 

 _“Our performance was actually filmed? How come I never knew that beforehand?_ ” Misaki thought. “Anyway, getting to the point, is Kanon alright?” she asked.

 

The nurse gave a nod of affirmation. “She just needs to rest, and she’ll be out in 4 days at most.”

 

Hagumi let out a sigh of relief. “So Kano-chan-senpai will be okay, after all!”

 

“Yay! Once she’s out of the hospital, we’ll be able to make the world smile again!”

 

“Not so fast, Kokoro!” Misaki raised her voice.

 

“Huh?” Kokoro looked at Misaki in surprise.

 

“Kanon had fainted from overworking herself for the last few weeks. Wouldn’t the responsible thing to do be to give her a break?”

 

The rest of Hello Happy World was silent for a minute. Then, Hagumi spoke up.

 

“Mii-kun does have a point, Kokoron. When I sprained my fingers, I had to wait a few weeks until I could play softball again. If we want Kano-chan-senpai to smile with us, we should wait until she feels all better.”

 

“I wholeheartedly agree. Dragging Kanon back into band activities when she just recovered would be...fleeting,”

 

“Ah, I see! Then we just need to find a way to do out band activities without Kanon! Thank you for the idea, Misaki!” Kokoro exclaimed.

 

 _“That’s not what I meant…”_ Misaki thought.

 

* * *

 

Kanon’s days in the hospital went by...fleetingly, as Kaoru would put it. By the second day, Kanon already felt better on the outside, but she still felt exhausted on the inside. As much as would have liked to go outside and get some fresh air, she felt like she wanted to just sleep forever.

 

As Kanon laid wide awake in her bed, the nurse arrived in her room.

 

“Hello, Miss Kanon. A special visitor wanted to come and see you today.”

 

“Oh, really?" Kanon asked, sitting up in her bed. She was hoping Misaki had come to visit her today. That would make her day feel a little bit better.

 

But the woman who came in after the nurse wasn’t Misaki at all. It was her mom, and Kanon’s heart sank when she saw her.

 

“Mom…” Kanon whispered.

 

“Yes, dear? Is there anything wrong?” She asked.

 

“I’m...sorry I got overworked and collapsed…” Kanon started to cry, much to her mother’s sorrow.

 

“Oh, darling...please don’t be upset. I talked with your father, and we decided that he’ll start searching for a job here for another week.”

 

Kanon wiped away her tears. “Really?”

 

“Yes, but Kanon, I heard about your accident on the news…”

 

“Wait, you did?”

 

“Yes, they broadcast the Sunny Day Festival live on screen. I saw you faint on screen, and everything…”

 

“Oh...oh no…” Kanon gasped. She covered her reddening face, and her heart was racing in panic.

 

“So I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to quit the band you’re in. You can still take drum lessons, but I don’t want you to collapse from being overworked like that again. I’m sorry, dear.”

 

Kanon didn’t say anything back to her mother. All she could do was cry, and her mother left the hospital room out of guilt. Kanon thought that she’d feel better once she got out of the hospital. But unfortunately, it seemed that she’d only feel worse.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Peko stop giving us Hello Happy World angst we don't want to see Kanon suffer anymore" You say.
> 
> I ignore your cries as I update this fic with an even more angsty chapter.
> 
> Don't worry, it will get better! ;)


	4. Kind Visitors

Now that Hello, Happy World’s band activity had took a steep decline since Kanon’s accident, Misaki was able to just do her part-time job as Michelle again. However, Misaki still seemed to be worried about Kanon. She wanted to visit her at the hospital, but her duties at Michelle came first.

 

Once her break started, Misaki decided that a cup of tea fro Hazawa Coffee was what she needed. Once she entered the cafe, she was greeted by Tsugumi and escorted to a table by her. The girl sitting across from her happened to be Chisato, who Misaki knew as Kanon’s friend from school.

 

“Oh, hello there, Misaki,” Chisato said.

 

“It’s nice meeting you, too, Chisato senpai…” Misaki then took a deep breath, “Anyway, I have a question for you, and it’s about Kanon.”

 

“What is your question? Are you worried about Kanon-chan?”

 

“You see...wait, do you know that she’s hospitalized?”

 

“Yeah, I know. I hope she makes a full recovery soon.”

 

_ “Phew, she knows…”  _ Misaki thought. “Kanon’s been miserable for the last few days. She’s my friend, and I want to make her feel better about the whole moving situation. I want to visit her, but…”

 

“Well, if you want to make her feel better, you should visit her at the hospital. The best thing a friend can do is be there for another friend in times in need.”

 

“Chisato?” Misaki didn’t appreciate Chisato interrupting her, but then again, she could read her like an open book. Plus, her advice about visiting Kanon was pretty good. 

 

“A-anyway, you’re right that I should visit Kanon. I’ll try to see if I have any free time later on,” 

 

“I’m glad I could help,” Chisato said with a smile. “I’m sure Kanon is very grateful to have a friend as kind as you.”

 

* * *

 

“Hmm...they have to be around here somewhere…” Misaki was at the mall- more specifically, one of the stores in the mall that sold plushies and other cute stuff. Misaki knew the store sold marine life plushies, including jellyfish, and she was searching around to see where they were. At last, she finally found them on one of the shelves in the back.

 

“A-ha! I found one!” Misaki exclaimed, taking a jellyfish plush off the shelf. The plush was soft and pastel blue, much like Kanon herself was. After purchasing it at the checkout, Misaki was ready to head off to the hospital. Just as she left the shop, she noticed two familiar-looking girls waving at her from afar. Curious and bewildered, Misaki walked over to them.

 

“Ah, Misaki! What a surprise seeing you here today!” Kaoru said.

 

“Mii-kun! We just got flowers for Kano-chan-senpai!” Hagumi exclaimed.

 

“I suppose you two are going to the hospital, too?”

 

“Indeed, my kitten,” Kaoru said. “Chisato-chan told me that visiting Kanon would make her day, and therefore, I shall.” Suddenly, Kaoru struck a dramatic pose. “Now, come with me, and we shall heal the ache of despair in the princess’s heart!” 

 

“Yay! We’ll bring Princess Kano-chan-senpai’s smile back!” Hagumi cheered.

 

Misaki rolled her eyes at Kaoru’s ridiculous display. “Kaoru, we’re just going to make her feel better,” she remarked.

 

* * *

 

“Miss Kanon, you have some visitors again today,” said the nurse.

 

Hearing that, Kanon buried her face in her pillow and let out a whimper. She assumed that her mother was here again, probably with even more bad news. 

 

“Kanon-chan, it’s me, Misaki. Kaoru and Hagumi have come to visit, too.” Came Misaki’s voice.

 

After hearing Misaki’s voice, Kanon pulled her face out of her pillow, and turned around to see Misaki, Kaoru, and Hagumi standing in front of her. Immediately, Kanon smiled for the first time in 2 days.

 

“Misaki-chan! I’m so glad you and your friends came to visit me…”

 

“Here, my kitten,” Kaoru said, handing Kanon bouquet of flowers. “I bought this fleeting bouquet of roses just for you. The pure white petals symbolize the gentleness and kindness of your soul, and you irreplaceability as our band’s drummer.”

 

“Anyway, here’s my gift…” Misaki handed Kanon the jellyfish plushie she bought earlier. “I always knew you liked jellyfish and soft things, so once you’ve moved, this plushie will serve as a reminder of me.”

 

“Uu...uuu…” Kanon started crying tears of joy. “You guys are so nice to me...it’s a shame I’ll won’t be with you any longer…because I might be quitting Hello Happy World…”

 

“Wait,” Kaoru gasped, “You might be  _ leaving _ the band?”

 

“Yes…” Kanon continued to sob, “Mom said I can’t be in the band anymore…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a happier chapter, to make up for all the angst I put you guys through. ;)


	5. A Lost Smile

“Everyone! I’m so glad you could come to my monthly Hello, Happy World! Band meeting!” Kokoro cheered, “Well, everyone except Kanon, but that’s going to change! Because she’s coming home tomorrow!”

 

“Actually, Kokoro, I have something to tell you…” Misaki stated.

 

“Hmm? Then spill the beans, Misaki!”

 

“Kanon...says she can’t play for Hello, Happy World anymore. Her mother says she’s not allowed to anymore.”

 

“Hmm? You’re kidding, right?”

 

“Actually, Kokoro, I believe that Misaki speaks the truth,” Kaoru said. “Kanon told us that she will no longer be a part of our fleeting band. It’s tragic, I know, but also...fleeting,”

 

“Huh? It...can’t be!” Kokoro’s cheerfulness disappeared, and now she was pouting frustratedly. “I have to find a way to get Kanon’s mom to change her mind! Kanon can’t be leaving Hello Happy World! She means too much to me!”

 

_ “Kokoro...please don’t tell me you’re actually going to Kanon’s house to talk with her mother...”   _ Misaki thought. 

 

Kokoro suddenly slammed her palms onto the table, as if Misaki had gave her an idea. “It’s decided! I’m going to Kanon’s house in hopes of changing her parents’ minds!” Kokoro exclaimed.

 

Misaki groaned.  _ “I knew she’d say that…”  _

  
  


Once Kanon was home from the hospital, the first thing she wanted to do was sleep. The last few days were rough on her, and she felt like resting would allow her regain some of her energy. Her mother seemed to believe that, too, as she told her to stay in bed for the rest of the day.

 

“Just take it easy, Kanon. You don’t want to tire yourself out again.” Kanon’s mother said.

 

Just as her mother left her bedroom, Kanon heard a loud knocking on the door downstairs. Kanon’s heart jumped when she heard it. Could Kokoro have come to visit her? Kanon decided to keep resting, until she started hearing what she thought was her mother yelling. Curious, she got out of bed to see what was happening downstairs.

 

“Please, Miss Matsubara! You have to let Kanon play in the band with us! We can’t make the world smile if she’s not with us!” Kokoro begged.

 

“You and your band were the reason my daughter collapsed from stress! Just what were you guys doing to make her snap like that?”

 

“Well, we had a big live coming up, and we needed to work hard!”

 

“Well, yeah, but Kanon’s anxiety over your choice to move her also played a role in it, too.” Misaki remarked.

 

“Oh, it did?” Ms. Matsubara asked, her voice getting softer.

 

When Misaki nodded, her mother let out a sigh.

 

“I guess it is my fault. I need to go back upstairs and apologize to Kanon…”

 

“So, can you let Kanon back in the band now?” Kokoro pleaded.

 

Ms. Matsubara shook her head. “I’m sorry, but the answer’s still no. I believe that playing in this band’s got Kanon more worked up than she need to be. She’s already got a part-time job and drum lessons, so a band is the last thing she needs to get involved with.”

 

“What?” Kokoro asked, her face going blank. Suddenly, Kokoro fell onto her knees. “C’mon! Kanon can’t leave the band! She’s important to us!”

 

“Maybe she can join you guys again once she goes into her third year. Until then, no means no.”

 

Suddenly, Kokoro let out a loud, frustrated groan, and ran out of Kanon’s house. Kanon watched Kokoro’s outburst with horror, and immediately felt guilty for not speaking up in the middle of the conversation. Hanging her head, she went back into her bedroom and went back to bed.

  
  


A few minutes later, Ms. Matsubara came into her daughter’s room.

 

“Kanon...please, be honest with me,” She said, sitting down on Kanon’s bed. “Is the move the reason why you got all upset?”

 

“Honestly?” Kanon murmured, looking up at her mother. Suddenly, she started to cry. “Honestly? Yes! Ever since you told me about it, it’s been on my mind for weeks! I should’ve told you how I really felt, but I was too cowardly to speak up! I’m sorry, mom!”

 

“Sweetheart, I’m the one who should be sorry for making that decision without knowing how it would affect you. I’ll have a talk with your father tonight, and we’ll try and fix everything.” Ms. Matsubara stretched out her arms. “Now, how about a hug?”

 

Kanon hugged her mother back, sobbing onto her shirt.

  
  


After chasing down Kokoro for a few minutes, Misaki finally caught up with Kokoro at the park. Kokoro was on the swingsets, choking back her tears. It was saddening sight to see, and Misaki felt frustrated seeing Kokoro so upset like this.

 

“Kokoro, are you okay?” Misaki asked, walking over to Kokoro.

 

“Yea-N-no…” Kokoro murmured.

 

“Well, Kokoro, can I say something to you?”

 

“Sure…”

 

“Not everything’s going to go your way. I understand you’re used to getting what you want all the time, since you’re so crazy rich and all. So it must be hard when something doesn’t go your way for once,”

 

“Yeah, it is.” Kokoro muttered, looking up at Misaki, who was standing in front of her.

 

“But sometimes, some people just can’t have their minds changed by you. There are some people out in the world who just can’t smile, no matter what you do.”

 

“Really?” Kokoro asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

 

“Yeah. It’s sad, but it’s true, too.” Misaki paused for a second before speaking again. “Kokoro, I want to ask you this: Are you really going to put your own selfish desires over what will make Kanon and the other members of your band happy?”

 

Kokoro was silent. 

 

“I’ll let you think it over.” Misaki said, before walking away from Kokoro. On the way home, Misaki felt bad about making Kokoro upset, but she hoped Kokoro would take a moment to stop and think about her words.

  
  


“Ah, another good work day!” Aya said as she stretched her arms. “We certainly did a good job today, didn’t we, Kanon?”

 

“Well, yeah, we did…” Kanon replied, taking off her work apron and hat. She then let out a sigh. “Aya, you’re truly lucky…”

 

“Huh? How so?” Aya asked.

 

“You have such a successful band, and you managed to bounce back from a humiliating accident…”

 

“Well, even then, it did take a lot of hard work before Pastel*Palettes was able to become a success again…”

 

“It’s true, but…”

 

“But what?”

 

“It’s just...oh, nevermind. I forgot what I was going to say.”

 

“Kanon, if you and your band are going through a rough time after what happened last week, then I totally understand you. But just as long as you and your band keep going, you’ll be able to make a comeback.”

 

“That’s...not what I meant…” Kanon cried, running off.

 

“Huh? Oh dear, I hope I didn’t say anything wrong…” Aya murmured to herself. 

  
  


As Kanon was running off, she came across the playground. Believing that swinging on the swingset would cheer her up, she took a seat on one of the swings. Kokoro was sitting next to her, looking down at the ground with a sad look on her face.

 

_ “Kokoro? Frowning? Something isn’t right…”  _ Kanon thought. She immediately put her hand on Kokoro’s shoulder.

 

“Kokoro, are you okay?” Kanon asked.

 

“Kanon…” Kokoro said, looking back at her. “Kanon...I’m sorry I was so selfish. I’m sorry I couldn’t get you back in the band,” Kokoro started sniffing, “And most of all, I’m sorry I couldn’t make you smile!”

 

“Kokoro…” Kanon mumbled. Seeing Kokoro sad was bad enough, but seeing Kokoro cry was even worse. “Kokoro, I understand that you’re upset. But I know a magic spell that will give you courage.”

 

“Courage?” Kokoro asked.

 

“Yeah. You’ve always shared your courage with me when I was at my lowest points, so I’ll share my courage with you…the magic words are ‘Happiness! Happy Magical~’. Remember?”

 

Kokoro wiped away her tears. “Yeah, I remember.”

 

“You can even say it when you close your eyes! Now, repeat after me: ‘Happiness! Happy Magical~’”

 

Kokoro closed her eyes, before saying the magic words Kanon told her. As she did, Kanon got off her swingset, walked over to Kokoro, and wrapped her arms around her.

 

When Kokoro opened her eyes, she saw Kanon embracing her.

 

“Kanon…”

 

“You’ve done so much for me, so I wanted to do something for you in return.”

 

“Kanon!” Kokoro exclaimed. Immediately, she started crying again, but this time, she was crying tears of joy. “Kanon, I’m so glad I met you…”

 


	6. My Happy World

“Alright! Now that everyone’s here, let’s start our meeting!” Kokoro exclaimed. She knew Kanon wasn’t here because she couldn’t come to their band meetings anymore, but as of now, Kokoro had just humbly accepted it.

 

Kokoro sat back down in her seat. “So, we all know that Kanon is moving...and without Kanon, we can’t perform as a band anymore…” Kokoro was quiet for a second, before she started smiling again. “But that’s okay! Until Kanon returns, Hello, Happy World! Will go on a hiatus!”

 

“How long will the hiatus be, Kokoron? I hope it’s not too long…” Hagumi asked.

 

“Umm...well...we’ll be on hiatus until Kanon returns from college!”

 

“College? Isn’t doing your outrageous band activities as adults a little strange?” Misaki asked.

 

“‘You are never too old to do the things you love.’ That is a quote from the Great Bard himself, Misaki.” Kaoru remarked.

 

“Kaoru...I’m pretty sure Shakespeare didn’t say that.” Misaki murmured.

 

“Hmm? He didn’t?”

 

“Nevermind that, Kaoru!” Kokoro said. “Even when we’re not playing in the band, we can still have lots of fun adventures together! For instance, we can-”

 

“Kokoro, we’re not going to go on crazy adventures while our band is on hiatus! That’s not a good idea!”

 

“Hmm? Then what ideas do you have, Misaki?” Kokoro asked.

 

“Well...how about we just do what normal bands do and make an album of all our songs?”

 

“An album? Mii-kun, that’s a wonderful idea!” Hagumi cheered.

 

“That’s a great idea, Misaki! Where did you come up with that?”

 

“...Kokoro, every band puts out albums now and then. Roselia just released their first album a few months ago.”

 

“They did?” Kokoro gasped.

Misaki nodded her head.

 

“Well, if Roselia can do it, then so can Hello, Happy World! Happy! Lucky! Smile! Yay!”

 

“Alright, Kokoro, but can I make just one request?”

 

“Sure!”

 

“Can we...give the first copy of our album to Kanon? I want it to be a special gift for her so she’ll remember us when she moves. Until then, can you keep it a secret from her?”

 

“Of course!” Kokoro cheered. Despite Kokoro’s words, Misaki doubted that Kokoro would keep that promise.

 

* * *

 

Kanon took a seat under the trees when lunch break started. If it were spring right now, the trees would be adorned in beautiful cherry blossom flowers. Kanon knew that cherry blossoms were short-lived flowers, and it reminded her of how there were only a few days left before she and her family moved. Kanon closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh.  _ “If only Dad still had his job…”  _ she thought.  _ “If only I didn’t let the move get to me…” _

 

Tears welled up in Kanon’s eyes as she thought about how much better things could’ve gone. But, just as she was about to cry, she was pulled back to reality when she heard the voice of a familiar friend.

 

“Kanon, would you mind if Rimi, Aya, and I ate lunch with you?” said Chisato.

 

“Uuu...sure!” Kanon said, wiping away her tears. “I haven’t talked to you in a while, and I really feel bad about it…”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Kanon.” Chisato said, taking a seat beside Kanon. “You’ve really had it rough lately, between you fainting and your family’s move…”

 

“Wait, you knew?” Kanon gasped.

 

“Yeah. We all knew. I watched on TV with my big sis…” Rimi muttered. “Last week, I heard people bad mouthing you and Hello, Happy World. They said lots of terrible things…”

 

“Uuuu…” Kanon moaned, as tears started streaming down her face.

 

Chisato pulled a tissue out of her pocket to wipe Kanon’s tears away. 

 

“Kanon, it’s not your fault for fainting. Every now and then things go wrong for all of us. Believe me, I know.” Aya said.

 

“Y-yeah! And those mean things people say about you...they’re wrong!” Rimi spoke up. She reached over to pat Kanon’s shoulder. “I really admire you, Kanon-senpai. Never forget that.”

 

“Thanks, guys...I feel better, now.”

 

“That’s good,” Chisato chuckled, “So, you’re moving to Osaka, right? Tell us about it.”

 

“Oh! Me and my family used to lived in the Kansai region! I know a lot of places you need to check out!” Rimi said.

 

From a distance, Kokoro and Misaki watched Kanon and her friends giggle and talk. 

 

“It’s nice to see that Kanon’s back to her normal self…” Misaki smiled. “I’m so relieved.”

 

“Yeah! It’s a shame she’ll have to move soon...but I’m sure she’ll make lots of new friends!” Kokoro exclaimed.

 

Misaki chuckled. “And I’m glad you’re back to normal, too, Kokoro.” 

 

Kokoro then felt someone tap her on the shoulder. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw one of her suits standing next to her. 

 

“Miss Kokoro, we have found a way to call off Kanon’s family moving, and convince Kanon’s mother to let her rejoin the band.” The suit said, handing Kokoro what appeared to be a job application form.

 

_ “Wait, so all of this could’ve been prevented?” _  Misaki thought, staring at Kokoro as she read over the form. 

 

After Kokoro finished reading the form, she handed it back to the suit. “No thanks. Everything’s already fine as is.”

 

“Huh?” Misaki said.

 

Kokoro looked over at Misaki. “What is it, Misaki?”

 

“I was really expecting you to take up the suit’s offer…”

 

“But I didn’t. It might’ve made me happy if I said ‘yes’, but it wouldn’t make Kanon happy.” Kokoro looked back at Kanon sitting with her friends.

 

_ “Maybe Kokoro did take my advice to heart after all…”  _ Misaki thought. “You’ve really grown up, Kokoro. I’m proud of you.”

 

* * *

 

When Kanon woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. The first thing Kanon noticed was that her room was completely empty, with the exception of the mattress she slept on and a small desk calendar lying next to it.  _ “Someone feels...off…” _ Kanon thought. When she looked at the calendar lying next to her bed, Kanon finally knew things felt so odd: Today was the day she was moving. 

 

After brushing her teeth and washing her face in the bathroom one last time, Kanon walked downstairs for brunch. As she went down the stairs, her mother looked surprised at how late she slept in.

 

“Dear, are you alright?” Mother asked, as she poured Kanon a cup of apple juice.

 

“I’m alright. I’m just...tired…” Kanon let out a sigh. “So, we’re moving today?”

 

“That’s right. Your father already drove off to Osaka, and we’re meeting him at 7. Until then, let’s try and seize the day. Alright?” 

 

Ms. Matsubara gave Kanon a smile in hopes she would smile, too. But Kanon could tell something was off about her mother’s smile. It didn’t feel as natural as Kokoro’s smiles. Rather, it felt like Mother was trying to hide her sorrows about the move behind a false smile and faking a cheery attitude.

 

“Umm, Mom? Are you upset about the move?” Kanon asked.

 

“Hmm? What makes you think that?”

 

“Well...I can see it in your face. Your smile...doesn’t seem natural. Maybe you don’t like the move after all?”

 

“Y-yes…” Kanon’s mom hung her head down in shame. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. Your father couldn’t find a job anywhere in this area, and out of the blue, he got a new job application from some company in Osaka…” Mother let out a sigh. “I wish your father and I could have done  _ something  _ to fix all of this. The last thing I want to make my own daughter upset…”

 

“Don’t worry about me, Mom. I’m fine. I know I’ll be fine.” Kanon spoke up. “I have a loving circle of friends who support me now, and I’m sure I’ll make new friends who will support me as well. Instead of dwelling on how you were unable to anything to help me, maybe we should start talking to each other more?”

 

“...You’re right. We really should.”

 

“Thanks, Mom. ...I’m sorry if I said anything wrong, though.”

 

“No, you’re right. I’m glad you feel better now.”

 

* * *

 

As Kanon and her mother waited for the train, Kanon was looking through the farewell messages she got on her phone. As she tried to hold back her emotions as she read over the messages sent by her friends, a new message popped up. Curious to see what it was, Kanon tapped it.

 

_ hEY!!! kANON, I’M OUTSIDE W/ A SURPRISE FOR YOU!!! cOME AND SEE IT, PLZ!!!!! _

 

Of course, the text was from Kokoro. 

 

Kanon heard some music playing, and it appeared to be coming from outside the station. She silently crept away from her mother and snuck out of the station, only to be bombarded by loud music and confetti flying in her face, courtesy of Kokoro.

 

“Kano-chan-senpai! Good luck on your move!” Hagumi exclaimed. Misaki just stood there, frowning quietly.

 

“Uh, guys, what’s with all the celebration?” Kanon asked, shaking her hands in panic.

 

“Why aren’t we celebrating? We want to make the last moments with you shine!” Hagumi exclaimed. However, afterwards, Hagumi’s smile disappeared. Hagumi must’ve noticed this, because she tried to force it back again.

 

“Well, that’s fine and all, but…” Kanon started sobbing. “I’m sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you!”

 

“Wait, Kano-chan-senpai! Don’t cry...don’t cry…” Hagumi begged. “Please, just…” Unfortunately for Hagumi, she started crying too. 

 

“Hagumi...Kanon…” Misaki said sadly. “Please...don’t cry. And Kanon, I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help you…” Misaki wiped away a single tear that streamed down her face.

 

“N-no, Misaki...you did a lot for me, actually.” Kanon wiped away her tears. “In fact, you all did a lot for me...it’s my fault for not doing anything for you…”

 

“Kanon, my dear princess, don’t cry…” Kaoru said, rushing over to Kanon’s side to rub her shoulder. “As the great bard would say...erm…” Kaoru dropped her to knees. “Kanon, I’m sorry for not helping you! I’m just...so worthless...I’m worthless without you!”

 

“Kaoru, please don’t say such things...and Hagumi, don’t cry...Please, this is supposed to be a happy occasion…” Misaki said, fidgeting her fingers with a worried expression. But unfortunately, Misaki started sniveling, which quickly escalated to quiet sobbing.

 

The last one to start crying was Kokoro, who, upon seeing everyone else in tears, started crying loudly.

 

“Please, everyone! You don’t have to be so upset that I’m moving! I’ll be back soon! I...I promise!” Kanon exclaimed, wiping her tearful face with her sleeves. The other HaroHapi members looked over at Kanon, their faces red from crying.

 

“Come on, let’s all join together for a hug.” Kanon outstretched her arms, and Misaki was the first to embrace Kanon, followed by Hagumi, Kaoru, and finally, Kokoro.

 

After staying this for a minute or two, Kanon let go of her bandmates. 

 

Hagumi started giggling, “So, why were we crying, again?”

 

“Because of Kanon’s move, probably.” Kaoru chuckled. “The fleetingness of our tears...much like the rain, it is but fleeting.”

 

“Huh. That actually makes sense for someone like you, Kaoru.” Misaki said.

 

“Yeah! And after rain, isn’t there sunshine and a rainbow? Sunshine after Tears...ha, that sounds like a good name for a song!” Hagumi exclaimed.

 

“Wait, Kanon, we forgot to give you something...” Misaki said. She grabbed something out of her backpack- a CD- and handed it to Kanon.

 

“A CD?” Kanon said.

 

“Yeah! It’s an album of allll our songs! You can listen to it if you ever get lonely or miss us!” Kokoro exclaimed.

 

“Thank you, everyone...I’ll promise to listen to it whenever I can!”

 

“That’s the spirit, Kanon. I hope you’ll make new friends in Osaka.” Misaki said. 

 

“I will, Misaki! I promise! By the way, my train should be arriving any minute. Good bye…for now, of course...” Kanon quickly hurried off to the train station to meet up with her mother.

 

“Well...she’s gone now…” Kaoru murmured, hanging her hand.

 

“But she said she’ll be back soon…” Hagumi muttered. “The thing is, how long is ‘soon’?”

 

“It’s as long or as short as we think it is.” Kokoro said. “To me, she’ll be back by our third year of high school!”

 

“How do you know, Kokoro?” Misaki asked jokingly.

 

“It’s my instinct! But no matter how far away Kanon is or how long she’ll be away from us, we’ll still be Hello. Happy World! We’ll always be able to keep in touch with Kanon!”

 

“But...how will we be able to be a band without Kano-chan-senpai? What if something bad happens again, and Kano-chan-senpai’s not around to help?”

 

“Well, first of all, let’s start taking each day one step at a time. I’m sure that’s what Kanon would want.” Misaki’s eyes followed the train Kanon was on as it left the station, heading for Osaka.

  
_ “And Kanon, I hope you’ll remember that I love you. You’re my Happy World, after all.”  _ Misaki thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! Sorry it took so long for me to post. I was really having a hard time deciding how this chapter would go, being the final chapter and all...I wanted to make a satisfying conclusion, and I hope the ending is satisfying...either way, thank you for reading!


End file.
